A big traditional wedding is not for everyone. For some couples, a little wedding in City Hall can be just the right type of celebration. City Hall weddings have a simple feel to them, but these types of weddings can still be fun and also include an intimate ceremony for close friends and family. These are just a few ideas to help you plan for a chic City Hall wedding.
People may think of an elopement when they hear of a City Hall wedding, but that is certainly not the case. In fact, it can be considered quite the stylish thing to do, especially in places like New York. Ideally City Hall weddings are for those couple who would like to keep their wedding ceremony very small and who don’t like to encoutner conflict among families. A wedding in City Hall can also be planned very quickly, which is great if your boyfriend suddenly surprised you with a fabulous ring from a jewelry store in Raleigh and you just want to tie the knot right away. Limit the guest list to parents, siblings, and your very best friends – just the people that you cannot possibly getting married without.
Any bride who chooses to get married in City Hall most definitely deserves the most modern and chic wedding ensemble. A chic City Hall wedding is the perfect setting to go all out and wear one of the many short wedding dresses which have been appearing on the runways lately. There are lots of amazing styles, from knee length ’50s inspired strapless gowns with full skirts to very contemporary one shoulder short sheaths in ivory silk. With a full skirted gown, a waist length veil would be darling, along with a pair of pearl earrings picked up in your favorite silver jewelry store in Raleigh. For a more modern short bridal gown, skip the traditional veil and wear either a little birdcage veil or a spray of white feathers in the hair. This will still be YOUR wedding, so make sure you have your hair and makeup done beautifully and that you wear a gorgeous wedding dress. Don’t forget that every bride deserves and should be required to be adorned by a lovey, beautiful flower bouquet.
After the exchange of vows at your City Hall wedding, invite your guests to join you for a bite to eat. In many cases, a small budget is a factor in opting for such a small wedding, so only plan what you can afford, but definitely do something. A terrific option for an intimate reception is to reserve the back room in a restaurant for a private party. Other than the drink and food costs, restuarants do not usually charge any extra for large parties such as family and friends with a wedding. Often when you are hosting a group in a restaurant, you can work with the manager to create a limited menu to offer your guests. This allows you to keep food costs under control by only offering entrees within a comfortable price range. In addition, the manager can advise you on how to select menu options with a reasonably similar prep time so that the whole table does not end up waiting forever because one person ordered a dish that takes a long time to cook. If you are a DIY bride, you can create your very own menus on your computer.
When making the plans for a little reception for a City Hall wedding, don’t forget about a wedding cake! All wedding receptions, big and small, should always include a delicious cake to cut and eat. Depending on how many people will be attending the reception, your cake can be either one or two tiers. Fresh flowers are always lovely for wedding cake decorations, or choose a fun vintage cake topper with a retro flair. Be sure that someone is designated to take pictures throughout the day, so that you will have photos of you in your wedding dress and special jewelry from your favorite Raleigh silver jewelry store, the cake cutting, and all of the other special moments. Last but not least, remember to plan for the newlyweds’ getaway at the end of the reception. What about writing in shaving cream “Just Married” all over the back of a scooter? This way your chick City Hall wedding can end with a bang.